Machine for closing and sealing envelopes



June 28,1927-, 1,633,750 R. MOHN MACHINE'FR CLOSING AND SEALING ENVELOPES Filed March 3. 1926 Patented June 2`8, 1927. i

UNITED STATES RUDOLF MOHN, OF SULGEN,

i y 1,633,750 1 .`-\.T1a1\1'rv OFFICE.

SVITZERLAND, ASSIGNOR T0 WILLY MULLER, THAL, ST. GALLEN, SWITZERLAND.v

MAcHINE FOR CLOSING Ann SEALING vEnviar,omis.

Application inea Mai-eh a, 1926, semina. eaoso, and in switzerland December 31,` 1925.v

This invention relates to a machine for closing and sealing envelopes and consists V1n the provision of a box having a slotted top plate on which the envelopes can be supported with the open sealing flap projecting into the box through one of the slots, the box being furnished, with a dampening pad for said iap, with an arm for feeding the envelope forwards over the slot so as to close the fiap, with a presser frame for applying pressure to the closed flap, and with means for delivering the closedenvelope from the box.

Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings represents a side View of the apparatus Fig. 2, a plan, and

Fig. 3 an end view of the' same.

Fig. 4 is a side view of the dampening mechanism, and

Fig. 5, a rear view of the same.

A box 2, mounted on a base plate 1 has a top plate 5 which is provided with spaced transverse slots 6 and 7. Lever arms 45 and 46, secured to a rock shaft 44, are normally accommodated in the slots 6 and 7 respectively, flush with the top plate. The shaft 44 is held in bearings 47 and 48 at one side of the box 2 and is covered by a curved extension of the plate 5, as shown in Fig. 3. A spring 49 on the shaft tends to hold the arms in the slots in a horizontal position. Behind the slot 6, and arranged at right angles to the latter, there is a slot 8 through which a lever arm 32 is brought up lfrom therv inside of the box. This latter arm is mounted on a rock shaft 31 and maintained by a spring 33 normally at the rear end of the slot 8.

A presser plate 35 is held between two arms 36 and 37 and secured by means of the latter to a rock shaft 38. The latter is held in a U-shaped bracket 39 which is secured by screws 42 to the front wall of the box. A spring 4() on the shaft 38 maintains the presser plate normally in an upright position, it being supported in this position by an upright 41 which is preferably integral with the bracket 39. The presser plate can be rocked about its shaft and placed fiat on the front end of the top plate 5, as shown dotted in Fig. 1.

The box has internally a vertical partition 22 which coincides with the forward edge of the slot 46. The partition cooperates with a dampening pad 21 which is mounted byA means -of a 'Y-shaped bracket 2U on a rocl; shaft 19. A spring 23 on the 'latter shaft tends to hold the pad against the partition. .The pad receives moisture4 from a tray 4 conta-ined in a ldrawer 3 into-which the pad dips when it is turned backwards through 900.

All these elements are operated by means of a shaft 9 which is rotatably mounted in bearings 11 and 12 and fitted with a crank handle 10. An .eccentric 13 onl the operating shaft rocks a shaft 16 by' engagement with an arm 15, and the shaft 16 hasalso an arm 14 whereby the rocking motion is transmitted by means of a link 17 and an arm 18 to the shaft 19 of the dampening pad. Another eccentric 42 at the opposite end of the operating shaft cooperates with a lever arm 43 on the shaft 44 for rocking the latter and the arms 45 and 46 in opposition to the spring 49. A tappet 24 on the operating shaft acts on ythe right-angled forward end 27 of a rod 26 which is guided in an aperture 28 in the front wall of the box and which is connected at the opposite end by means of 'a bolt 29 to a lever armr 30 mounted on the shaft 31. rlhe arrangement is such that the tappet 24 rocks the lever 32 forwards in opposition to the spring 33. Another tappet 25 on the operating shaft cooperates with an arm 34 on the shaft 38 for applying the presser plate 35 to the top plate 5.

The action is as follows:

Vhile the dampening pad is held by the cam 13 in the tray 4, an envelope .is placed, flaps downwards, over the'arms 45 and 46 on the top plate 5. The sealing flap of the envelope is turned open and inserted into the box between the lever arm 46 and the forward edge of the slot 7. If now the operating shaft be turned, the pad 21 is raised from the tray and applied to the sealing flap so as to dampen its guinmed edges, the partition 22 serving as a support. Then the pad recedes, whereupon the lever 32 is actuated. By engagement with the rear end of the envelope this lever feeds th-e envelope forwards over the slot 7 so that the sealing flap is withdrawn from the box and closed against the body of the envelope. The presser plate 35 now comes into action and is applied to the advanced envelope for sticking the dampened sealing flap in position. This being` done, the presser plate flies back whereupon the arms 45 and 46 are raised, as

shown by 'dotted lines in Fig. 3, so as to deliver the sealed envelope over the extended edge of the top plate 5.

I claim:

l. A machine for closing and sealing Venvelopes, comprising a box having` a straight slotted top plate on which an envelope can be supported With vthe sealing flap projecting through a slot into the box, a dampening pad arranged in the box, means for applying said pad to the sealing flap, a partition supporting the flap against the pad, means for feeding the envelope forwards along the top plate over the slot so as to close the iiap, a presser plate mounted on the box, means for clamping the envelope between said presser plate and the top plate of the box for sticking the closed flap in position, and means for delivering the closed envelope.

2. A machine for closing and sealing envelopes, comprising a box having a slotted top plate on which an envelope can be supported with the sealing flap Aprojecting through a slot into the box, a dampening pad arranged in the box, means for applying said pad to the sealing flap, a feeding arm projecting through a slot in the top plate, means for operating said arm so as to feed the envelope forwards over the slot and close the liap, a presser plate mounted on the box, means for applying said presser plate to the envelope for sticking the closed flap in position, delivery arms accommodated normally in slots in the topv plate, and means for operating said delivery arms so as to Ideliver the closed envelope.

3. A machine according to claim 2 in which the means for operating the dampening` pad, the feeding arm, the pressure plate and the delivery arms, consist of springaetuated rock shafts, an operating shaft, and connections between said operating shaft and the 'different rock shafts for operating the latter successively.

RUDOLF MOHN. 

